Estate Planning

When you were married, you bought a life insurance policy. Maybe you were the main breadwinner for the family and wanted to make sure that your spouse was provided for if you passed away unexpectedly. However, you have since gotten a divorce. You want to know if that...

As both you and your parents get older, you start thinking about all of the assets that they own. You know that you’re going to have to sort out all these details or handle the assets when they pass away. At the same time, you know that most Americans don’t have an...

If you want to leave money in a trust for a child or grandchild when they reach adulthood (or perhaps for one who already is an adult – at least legally), you have the right to place some conditions on when and for what purpose assets can be distributed to them by...

It’s true that a lot of people procrastinate estate planning. Take, for example, the fact that most Americans don’t have an estate plan. All Americans know that they eventually will need to make end-of-life medical decisions or pass their assets on to someone else,...

Probate court exists in part to help ensure the fair and appropriate distribution of people's property when they die. Left to their own devices, some people will lie to their family members or even steal from an estate. The probate courts help provide oversight for...

There are a few things that nearly everyone needs to include: beneficiaries, asset itemization, executor of the estate and valid signatures for proof of its authenticity. One of the many things people don’t realize is included in a will is a power of attorney (POA)....

Typically, when a person thinks of estate planning, they think about who will get their house, car or family heirlooms after they die. While estate distribution takes up a large portion of a will, there are important matters that also need to be discussed. In...

Many adults choose to set up an estate plan while they’re still capable of making decisions about where they want their assets to go when they die. For the most part, these plans are followed without issue, but there are times when a will needs to be challenged. A...

If you have two or more children whom you need to provide for financially in case you pass away before they’re all grown, you can create what’s sometimes called a “pot trust.” It goes by other names, like common trust and pooled trust, as well. You may want to name...

Animals are vital to society for many reasons. Some of them, like police dogs and ethically-managed lab animals, work hard for their keep and provide humanity with invaluable benefits. However, the leading reason animals have a critical place in society is because of...